ARTICLES ABOUT TRASH BY DATE - PAGE 5

Dozens of illegal dumps dot Northampton and Lehigh counties, yet the Lehigh Valley is cleaner than many other Pennsylvania regions, a new study shows. Conducted by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the survey identified nearly 6,500 illegal dump sites around the state with 18,500 tons of trash, including appliances, furniture, construction debris and tires. Surveyors spotted 467 tires in Northampton County alone, not counting those buried under other trash. Of the 51 sites identified in Northampton County, 78 percent had construction and demolition waste, 77 percent had tires, 71 percent had household trash, 69 percent had recyclables, and 65 percent had bagged trash, according to the report.

South Whitehall Township trash and recycling drop-off center reminds residents that their approved recycling containers are available at the drop-off center, according to the township's website. Permitted items for recycling include: magazines, junk mail, office paper, corrugated and other types of cardboard, glass and cans, plastic containers with recycling marks 1-7 and many metal and aluminum products, the township's website said. Trash and recycling center summer hours continue from noon-8 p.m. weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, through September 30, the website said.

A $30 senior citizen discount on trash and recycling services is available to Upper Macungie Township residents who are 65 or older, on or before Dec. 31, 2013, to qualify for the 2014 discount, according to the township's website. Applicants are asked to visit the Municipal Building, 8330 Schantz Road, Breinigsville, to apply, the website said. Proof of age and residents is required in order to receive the discount. For more information, call the township offices at 610-395-4892 or visit the Upper Macungie website .

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan's plan to hire a single hauler to pick up everyone's trash, which kindled a fiery defense of the city's quirky system, has suffered a quiet death. In contrast to passionate hearings where many residents defended their freedom to choose their own hauler, Bethlehem officials talked for just seconds Friday at a sparsely attended meeting where haulers learned the city rejected all bids for a single hauler. It wasn't because the bids were too high — the lowest bid offered to pick up residents' trash and recycling for $197 a year, a 50 percent savings for the average homeowner.

Being a bona fide cheapster takes dedication, forcing folks to ask themselves just how far they are willing to go. Am I willing to scrounge through a big metal trash bin to save a few bucks, you might ask yourself. Go for it, we say. We once found a perfectly good bicycle that way. All it needed was a couple of inner tubes and a good oiling, and we were rolling in style. Am I willing to rob someone's grave? Most would say that's a line they don't want to cross. There's a big difference between being a cheapster and being a criminal.

The latest special edition of the Bethlehem Recycler boasts the savings city residents will enjoy under a single-hauler trash program. Do not buy into this misleading propaganda. I have the freedom to choose. You have the freedom to choose. It is and should be our choice and not Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan's choice how we spend our hard-earned money. Do you want to be told where to eat? Or who should trim your trees or mow your lawn or paint your house? Retain your freedom of choice.

Two men who trashed a historic farmhouse near the Appalachian Trail are headed to state prison to serve lengthy sentences, due to their long criminal pasts. At 22, Ronald C. Ulmer is already what is known as a repeat felony offender, a classification that brings enhanced sentencing guidelines. The East Bangor man first got into trouble with the law when he was 12, and he has convictions that include multiple charges of conspiracy to commit burglary as an adult, according to court records.

We were glad to recently reconnect with Barry Donchez in Bethlehem, an inspiring guy who enjoys growing his own food without shelling out a lot of money on gardening supplies. Gardening is a great way to save money. And it could become an increasingly popular hobby since food prices are expected to rise by as much as 4 percent this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pay raises, meanwhile, are likely to be skimpy due to the high rate of unemployment. Now that we've got you stressed and depressed, let's talk gardening.

When that sun peeks out, it's tempting to go do some work in the garden. We've had a lot of great tips over the years about how to garden without big expenses. Gardening is healthy in so many ways, and growing your own food can save you a ton of money. But there are all kinds of gardening gadgets and doodads out there to waste money on, too, so you have to be careful. Especially if you're a novice. We got a great tip from Carole Ondrovic in Allentown to help you start a garden early without wasting money on a fancy greenhouse.

Last month we told you all about Jaime Bloss, an art teacher at Governor Wolf Elementary School in Bethlehem who helps her students turn trash into treasures to help the school save on art supplies and inspire her students to be creative with whatever materials they have. That prompted a note from Barbara Zwikl, theater director at Trexler Middle School in Allentown. She asked that we shine the spotlight on her school, where they are putting on the 1951 musical "The King and I" on a backcountry Broadway budget.